If We Work Together
by Jedi Ani Unduli
Summary: Takes place during the S02 E15 "The Last Mabelcorn". Some more Ford and Dipper bonding. For the first time in long while, the two nerds finally had someone they could call a friend. Having been both tricked by Bill, Ford realizes that he needs to rely on someone else for the first time. No incest or shipping.


_This came to mind as I watched S02 E15 "The Last Mabelcorn". There was probably more bonding between Ford and Dipper than what was shown. Who can blame them? They're NERDS! They LONELY and SAD and NEED each other! Enjoy reading, and please leave a review._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. I wish, but I don't._

"Bill."

"You – you _know_ him?" He thought he was going to have a heart attack then and there at the kitchen table. The fact that his nephew had dealt with the dream demon deeply concerned him – not just once, but twice! Mabel had said they had defeated Bill both times with kittens and tickles – wait, he had _heard_ that correctly, right? Still, the fact that they both had had interactions with Bill was concerning. He needed to learn more. Considering his niece wanted to go after the unicorn hair so badly, he had an excuse to have Dipper stay behind. He wanted to learn more about his experiences with Bill. Plus, he loved getting to spend time with his nephew, his nerdy, geeky nephew. He handed Mabel the crossbow.

"I haven't been in this dimension for a while. It's okay to give children weapons, right?" he mused aloud. A shattered window and car alarm being triggered caused him to rethink that idea.

Initially, he had been skeptical of kids being around his house, especially _Shermie's_ grandkids. If anything happened to them, he would be first in a long line of family members blaming him. However, he gradually warmed up to each of them. Dipper, being the first to drop in on him – literally – was the one with whom he most closely identified. The boy was so intelligent, so _bright_ that Ford was okay with Dipper making notes in the journals. In fact, he even encouraged the boy. The boy had the makings of a scientist within him. Mabel had helped out with some of them, he had seen, and overall she was very friendly with him. Her personality could get a little… overwhelming, however, and he silently thanked the multiverse when she ran outside.

"So, what are the odds she gets that hair?" he heard Dipper ask.

"Unlikely. I've dealt with unicorns before and if I had to describe them in one word it would be... frustrating." Coincidentally, just like Stan.

When he had first emerged from the portal, all he had thought about was giving his twin a solid hit for all the trouble he went to. Since when had Stan given a crap about anyone else except Stan? No – no, he couldn't quite say that. After all, Stan had saved him from traveling the multiverse for forever. The warnings, however, he ignored – warnings, schmornings, as his twin would say – at their peril. The Rift had been created as a result, and Bill knew about it. Stan probably didn't mean for that to happen, but then again he probably didn't mean to send Ford through the portal and into the multiverse for 30 years. Actions had consequences, and Stan never seemed to _get_ that.

"So, what are we gonna do about Bill?"

 _Focus, Ford_ , he thought. Now was not the time to linger on Stan's and his lingering arguments. He looked on the nervous yet eager boy before him.

"Follow me." As Dipper closed up the shop, Ford took the time to scan his surroundings. Good, Stan and his shady friend were nowhere in sight. He didn't think Stan would object to him taking Dipper for the afternoon, but he didn't want to test his luck. He pressed the button on his wrist control, and the vending machine swung open. He led the way to the elevator, stopping it at level 2. The elevator doors creaked open, and he unlocked and opened the door.

"Welcome to my private study, a place where I keep my most ancient and secret knowledge. Even your Uncle Stan doesn't know about this place." A good thing too. Otherwise, the next day would lead to new and weird displays and crazier stories that accompanied each conglomeration of various random creatures' taxidermied parts.

He explained briefly the contraption that Dipper saw before him. Dipper, being the intelligent boy he was, asked a bunch of questions (to be fair, it might also have been the helmet; it _did_ look a little scary). He patiently answered each question. Yes, Dipper, I built this before I disappeared. No, I didn't have a chance to use it then. Why? I… may have gotten too paranoid to risk using it if Bill could invade the shack at any time. That's also why my journals have all the warnings written in invisible ink… and yes, I should change that. No, it wasn't running when I came back, but that also might be because of the power flux due to the portal reopening. The poor boy still looked nervous at the metal helmet Ford was holding.

"Dipper, do you trust me?"

"W-well, yes –"

"Good!" He patted the boy's head awkwardly. He hadn't dealt directly with children for over 30 years, and even knowing this boy was his nephew didn't boost his confidence. "Don't worry; I know this machine inside and out. It works. Trust me." He flicked on the switches, starting the heart of the machine. He placed the helmet gently on Dipper's head, and hit the top button to close the metal tongs around Dipper's face. He quickly turned back around to focus on the tiny screen. His hands each went to a different machine part to continue waking up the machine. It _should_ be working as expected. His heart pounded as he concentrated, mindful of the bundle of potential that sat behind him. If this didn't work, he'd lose more than just a machine. Dipper trusted him, and he didn't want to let the boy down.

He explained of what he knew of Bill as he continued. Now the machine was up and running, all he had to focus on was the calibration. It amazed him that this was in as good of shape as it had been back then. He kept a deadpan expression as he told Dipper of the plate in his head, and then demonstrated with several metallic knocks. He noted the release of tension from his nephew when he said that the machine would be safer. He didn't take it personally. When scavenging for parts for the machine in the first place, he probably shouldn't have gotten the headpiece from an old, abandoned prison. Oh well. He had also thought he'd have been the only one to ever need it. Look how _that_ turned out.

"Now, say hello to your thoughts." Suddenly the screen lit up bright as day with the text of Dipper's thoughts. He felt more than a little overjoyed that Dipper was still excited to be around him. He should plan on doing things with the two of them more often. He didn't know that Dipper liked BABBA. Another thing they had in common. Wendy? Oh, that teenager that worked for Stan. He smiled at the boy as the boy blushed, and the smile fell soon after Dipper's next question. Now was not a good time to reveal all he knew to Dipper. Just how much could the boy handle?

"Now, focus!" he finished enthusiastically. "It's time to strengthen your mind."

"Uh…" Dipper's voice began hesitantly. Irritation sprung up inside at this interruption, but Ford pushed it down. He may not have spent a lot of time with Dipper, but he understood that tone of voice. "Great Uncle Ford, can this machine show pictures or events from the past?"

"Uh, no Dipper. Why do you ask?" he asked gently.

"Well, uh, we mentioned that we had fought Bill before, twice. You didn't seem to believe our descriptions of the fight, so I was hoping that… maybe you could _see_ my memories. Actual pictures, not just words." Ford thought about that. It hadn't been an option initially when he built this machine. Given how far technology had come in the past couple decades he'd been absent, he figured he could scavenge enough parts to make that adjustment. That boy had just had an excellent idea.

"Unfortunately, given the technology I had to build this machine, Dipper, I can't have it show me the actual pictures from your memory." His nephew looked absolutely crestfallen. "But, if you want to help me with the addition, we could go scrap hunting through the junk pile together." Like every other hick town, Gravity Falls had a huge junk pile located on the outskirts of town. The area was so overgrown with brush and trees that it conveniently hid it from prying tourist eyes. He had found many useful parts there since his arrival.

"REALLY?! You would… would want me to come with?" Dipper's eyes and mouth both were wide open with excitement.

"Yes, Dipper." He chuckled. Kneeling down in front of the boy, he maintained eye contact as he asked, "However, even though you can't show me the memories, how about you just relay the details to me?" He knew that anything left out, intentional or otherwise would appear on the screen. Dipper looked more than happy as he launched into a long narrative involving a young lad named Gideon, Stan's memory being under attack, fighting against Bill only to wake up and find the Shack being taken away from them. Then the narrative turned to sleepless nights trying to decipher the password for the laptop, being tricked by Bill into becoming a sock puppet, and Mabel breaking out of her boy-crazed frenzy to tickle Bill out of her brother's body. Dipper sure didn't leave out any details, embarrassing or otherwise. He'd make a fine scientist one day.

During the entire talk, Ford adjusted his position enough only to take some of the pressure off of his knees. He really felt his age when doing certain movements, and kneeling on concrete floors was never a smart idea. His body had handled it when he was younger, but refused to do so any longer. Running around the multiverse probably hadn't helped either, but that had been more out of necessity. He never realized how _old_ he actually was until Stan and he had stood before the hallway mirror that night. How had the years flown by so fast?

As he continued to listen to Dipper's tales, he realized therein lay a common theme. The boy understood the situation, what was at stake, and no one took him seriously, especially not Mabel. Then it was up to Dipper's smarts to get them out of the situation. Although, Mabel's faith in her Grunkle Stan helped a great deal in fighting back against Bill in the first scenario, something Dipper readily admitted. He gave the kid props for admitting that. _He_ wouldn't have been so ready to admit to the same at his age. The boy had so much maturity at such a young age. The second one contained a story so similar to his own story; it almost hurt too much to hear it. Dipper had been tricked by Bill, been _used_ as a _live_ puppet in an attempt to destroy the journal, and only Mabel's sudden attention at the last second prevented their potential deaths and the journal from being burned. Yes, she had warned Dipper about his lack of sleep, but to not notice your twin is possessed? She must have really _liked_ this guy.

"Thank you for sharing that, Dipper," Ford said, squeezing the boy's shoulder with affection. "I appreciate your honesty." A twinge of guilt occurred at the word, but he pushed it back with practice. Not yet. "Now, I'm going to continue my research. What I want you to do is to focus on the screen as the machine leafs through your thoughts and encrypts them. Mind you, it's going to be a slow process, and it'll be boring every step of the way. Try to remain relaxed and still, and everything should go just fine." He walked over to his desk and shifted the chair so he could keep an eye on the boy.

Ford watched Dipper stare at the screen, absently opening up his book on the table before him simultaneously. The whole situation struck him as sad. The boy was – _is_ – brilliant. He shouldn't have to continue sacrificing for someone who teases him so badly about his gifts. Stan would tease him, sure, but up until that day when he sabotaged his chances at going to a better school he had been supportive. Sticking up for his six fingers, putting the effort he had into the boxing lessons their dad gave just so his twin wouldn't be picked on for _all_ of his life. Even after Stan had been thrown out of the house, Ford still had those treasured if painful memories of Stan trying his best to be his protector. Here, Dipper was both the protector and the nerdy one. Mabel was supportive, sure, at times. Dipper also teased his sister back. However, out of the two she appeared to be the one who did the most teasing. Teasing wore you down, especially when it was your sibling, and twice as hard as when it's your twin.

No wonder Dipper was so _happy_ to be able to play _Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons_ with him. They had both been lonely for so long that they wanted to spend as much time as possible together. Ford rubbed his eyes as he tore his gaze away to stare at the book's pages, looking but not reading a single word. Granted, he didn't have a lot of data from his observations of the two of them to back up this hypothesis. Still, this meant that he would have to observe the two of them more closely, as well as take the time to get to know Dipper better. Finally, this meant he would have to seriously consider the greatest question before him.

Well, it was the greatest question _after_ the one regarding how they were to defeat Bill.

* * *

That could have gone better. He grimaced at the sight of the broken computer. So many years' worth of work, and gone in an instant. He'd have to find more parts, just in case Mabel didn't get the unicorn hair. Really, though, he should have been honest from the start, and he made up for that by revealing his _entire_ backstory to his nephew. He could tell that the glow from the now-broken machine still disturbed the boy, so he suggested they go upstairs to take a break. Dipper gladly accepted, but he did so without looking him in the eye. Whether it was from disgust at what he had learned or at his accidental destruction of the machine, Ford did not know.

When they got to the kitchen table, Dipper shifted over to his seat to sit down, eyes squarely fixed on the tabletop. Ford walked to the fridge to grab two Pitt colas. This soda was Dipper's favorite, and he didn't want Dipper to feel even more alone than he already did. He remembered being Dipper's age. The more he looked at Dipper, the more he saw himself in the boy. Those thoughts only strengthened his conviction that he should ask Dipper _the_ question.

"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed about earlier!" Dipper moaned. Ford handed the soda out towards him, hoping the kid would make eye contact. "I'm such an idiot." Even when grabbing the soda, Dipper's eyes remained fixed on the table. The kid looked up to him _that_ much. In the past, Ford had either been feared for what he could do (multiverse) or mocked for his six fingers (Earth). Now, he was experiencing firsthand the adoration of a younger boy who wanted his time and approval. It was a humbling thing for the well-traveled scientist.

"From now on, no more secrets between us. We're not the first two idiots to be tricked by Bill, boy. But if we work together, we could be the last." As he finished saying so, he reached out, grasped the brim of the hat between his thumb and forefinger, and tugged it upwards. Dipper's head, and eyes, came up, finally meeting his. A hesitant smile crossed his face.

And then in waltzed Mabel with a fistful of unicorn hair. He was proud of her. How she had achieved such a feat, he wasn't sure he wanted to know, given the state all four girls were currently in. Her earlier statement about having the purest heart must have been correct if she was able to get _that_ much hair from the unicorns. She clearly appreciated his approval of her efforts.

When she went off with her girl posse to go get cleaned up, Ford had Dipper follow him. His nephew carried the ingredients for the protective enclosure as he directed them around the Shack, saying where and when to put the various magical items. As they worked together, Ford realized that he needed to ask Dipper _the_ question. But was now a good time? Stan or Mabel could drop in at any point and overhear, and he knew they both would definitely dislike what he was about to say. After Dipper placed the final unicorn hair, sealing the protective barrier, Ford had an idea. He knew Stan had something planned with the kids soon, but once they came back then he could take Dipper on a little excursion. He would pop the question to Dipper, and he was sure he wouldn't say no.

They had both gone a while without a friend. This would stop that from happening ever again.


End file.
